


How Low The Birches Bend

by thepizzasitter



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Bottom Nezu | Piers, Cold Weather, Communication, Crown Tundra, Frottage, Hand Jobs, Intercrural Sex, M/M, Massage, Near Death Experiences, Non-Penetrative Sex, Oral Sex, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Pokemon Sword & Shield Expansion Pass: The Crown Tundra, Porn with Feelings, Sexual Dysfunction, Sharing Body Heat, Smut, Top Dande | Leon, and leon and piers get into their emojis together, basically piers has a run in with an angry abomasnow, i freaking love peony by the way, peony carries him back to leon's cabin like the bamf he is, this is me mashing my dolls together as usual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:01:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27273868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepizzasitter/pseuds/thepizzasitter
Summary: “There’s too much here. I need more eyes and hands, and you know the Tundra better than most.”He certainly did, and he wondered who else had seen through him when he would pretend to be lost there. Was it merely the plausible deniability they had needed? Or had they truly not looked closely enough to wonder how it was he could make his way through the caves, through the treacherous paths that barely connected home to journey and back again, and yet not the easy streets of Wyndon.Sonia and Raihan had always seen through him, but that was by virtue of the sheer amount of time they had known each other. His dearest friends, his most treasured companions. Of course they saw and understood him. But it was rare anyone else did.He felt his face heat up at the thought of the other person who knew him like that.And he certainly couldn’t claim it was because they’d known each other for over two decades.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Nezu | Piers
Comments: 12
Kudos: 91





	How Low The Birches Bend

**Author's Note:**

> I played through the Crown Tundra DLC and was captivated with the same fervency as when I wrote for the Isle of Armor. I'll be doing a whole lot more work using the Tundra as my backdrop after October projects are finished, but I wrote a simple piece to tide myself over for now.
> 
> This fic navigates the waters of where the mind and the body are connected. Leon deals with some anxiety based erectile dysfunction issues, which is a source of distress for him in the face of a potential relationship with Piers. As with any of my fics, they manage to sort themselves out.
> 
> And since most of you will know I often create ambient pieces to go with my fics, here is my cover of [Two Year Winter](https://soundcloud.com/user-500586804/two-year-winter-cover/s-VrOatZfpxzV), a song originally written and sung by Bill Jones, an English folk singer, in 2003. Her voice is lovely, but I've always felt this song to be a far more haunting one than the way she sings it, so this is my take on the lyrics. Her version can be found [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxBkbKoqWoY). I thought of the lyrics the entire way through the Tundra's icy fields.
> 
> For the songs I listened to writing this, they were mostly [Lay It On Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbMWNMB2u7Y) by Vance Joy and [Lay Me Down](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KQwe8cnh7k) by Sam Smith.
> 
> I hope you enjoy the songs and the story!
> 
> I love meeting new people on Twitter! Come shout at me either on my main/cosplay account (shyloren) or my Pokemon side account (CryptidPiers).

Leon leaned back against the soft cushions of the sofa, burying further under the mountain of blankets on him with a quiet sigh of relief.

He sipped at his tea, half-dozing from a day of exploration and research into the many legends that lived in the bones of the Tundra. Its stories haunted him, more ghosts here than even Stow-On-Side or Hammerlocke had to offer. Graves of those who had come before littered the slopes of the mountains and fields, and death was around every corner with the danger an unsuspecting or inexperienced explorer could find.

A beautiful, frozen wasteland that was as beloved to him as the hot and sunny Isle to the East.

He turned off the telly and its news cycle, debating whether it was worth the temporary cold to unbundle himself and make his way to bed. It would need time to warm, but the couch certainly wasn’t fit for sleeping on unless he wanted sore muscles made even worse by a twinge in his spine.

And the fireplace was ablaze with the best kind of warmth. He didn’t particularly wish to leave its embrace just yet. He set his cup down on the floor, turning over onto his stomach to nestle in, calling to Rotom to set an alarm in case he fell asleep.

He turned his head, letting his eyes un-focus as he stared into the flames. Watching the fire was a special sort of comfort, one he couldn’t quite explain if it was asked of him. His mind wandered aimlessly, and he allowed it its course as stray bits of new information he had learned settled into their places, where he could draw from them again should he ever need to.

 _A horse_ , he mused. One of either ice or ghostliness, depending on who he asked. Was there more than one? Or perhaps it could change depending on certain circumstances. Could possibly even be just the faulty memory of people, as it sometimes was, but either way he was glad he had taken Sonia up on her request for help.

_“There’s too much here. Too many legends to look into alone. I need more eyes and hands, and you know the Tundra better than most.”_

He certainly did, and he wondered who else had seen through him when he would pretend to be lost there. Was it merely the plausible deniability they had needed? Or had they truly not looked closely enough to wonder how it was he could make his way through the caves, through the treacherous paths that barely connected home to journey and back again, and yet not the easy streets of Wyndon.

Sonia and Raihan had always seen through him, but that was by virtue of the sheer amount of time they had known each other. His dearest friends, his most treasured companions. Of course they saw and understood him. But it was rare anyone else did.

He felt his face heat up at the thought of the other person who knew him like that.

And he certainly couldn’t claim it was because they’d known each other for over two decades.

A certain resident of Spikemuth had been living rent free in his head for longer than he wanted to admit, though lot of good _that_ did the singer with Piers’ struggles to actually pay rent once upon a time.

Even so, they had become…rather good friends, he thought. Enough that every time they interacted, he felt less like an idiot for having tripped headlong into what he was extremely worried was evolving into love. His heart had always charged ahead, leaving the rest of him to frantically catch up after he inevitably got lost.

Before, he had been able to keep any feelings at bay by maintaining his distance. He didn’t have that excuse anymore. He had always purposefully kept away from Piers’ concerts, constantly fretting about bringing Rose’s attention to anything Piers did. And then, after Rose was out of the picture…

If he was being honest, it was that he was too afraid of being out of place. He would stand out in Spikemuth on the best of days, and he didn’t want Piers to look at him like he wasn’t sure if he should make him leave or tolerate him with the rest of the tourists.

But during their doubles match, he had finally gotten to hear Piers sing live, standing right next to him. Battling _alongside_ him, as they had never done before he created the Star Tournament.

It had just made his stupid crush grow stronger, to see the sweat and passion from the corner of his eye while he tried to focus on the battle. And when it was over, the two of them victorious, Piers had _smiled_ at him. _Him_! Leon buried his face in the pillow with a groan, thinking about how stupid he must have looked, staring as he had.

He wondered if he would ever get to do that again. Piers didn’t do encores, and he wasn’t a gym leader anymore, so perhaps that would be it. Just a way to kick off the event that meant so much to Leon and support his friends.

Still, he hoped maybe—

The booming knock that sounded throughout the cabin nearly upended him off the couch from how badly it startled him.

“Leon! It’s me, Peony!”

He froze, eyes wide. Peony? What in Arceus’ name was he doing here?

“Please, Leon! He’s in trouble, laddie, please open up!”

Leon practically flew to the door, barely managing to fling it open before his old friend was stumbling inside, carrying—

“Piers!” He choked out, immediately reaching for the snow-covered form in Peony’s arms. The other gave him up without protest, and they were both so cold it made Leon’s teeth ache in sympathy as he carried Piers over to the sofa. The singer turned his face to press it against the skin of his throat and Leon shivered, the feeling of his cheeks and nose like icy pinpricks at his collarbones.

“Leon?” Piers murmured blearily, and he nodded, cursing himself for a fool when he realized Piers couldn’t see it.

“Yeah, it’s me. Peony, we gotta move fast—”

“I know lad, where do you keep the—”

“In the cupboard under the—”

“On it.”

Ah, he’d missed that.

Peony had always been good to them all, and he had come so close to reaching out many times in the year since Rose had…well, since Rose. End of sentence.

Of all of them, Peony had likely lost the most. And he had never been sure of how to speak about the person who connected them to one who knew well the personal side of that betrayal. Peony had warned them all at the very beginning and had been ignored. It was fitting, somehow, that Piers was the one he was saving now.

The only one of them who would have listened from the start.

“Piers, I need to take off most of your clothes so you don’t freeze in them, is that alright?”

“Go for it, Champ,” Piers said tiredly, and Leon had to count to ten to keep himself from responding inappropriately to the way Piers calling him that always made him feel.

“Not Champion anymore,” he reminded, as he did constantly these days. Every time he said it, it felt better. More right, less terrifying. He had immediately begun enjoying the freedoms afforded to him by not having the title weighing on his shoulders, but old habits and all that.

It was difficult, sometimes, and he was still discovering parts of himself he hadn’t realized existed.

Piers made a sound of agreement, his head leaned back against the couch while Leon helped him out of gear that nearly drowned his slim frame and _still_ hadn’t managed to protect him from the elements. He slipped off his boots and socks, immediately tucking his feet between his thighs so they could start warming up while he worked on the rest.

“You’ve done this before,” Piers noted, words half-slurred as he tried to get his jaw to start moving again. Leon nodded.

“More than once. People always underestimate the Tundra. The ones who live never do so again.”

“To be fair, wasn’t me who wasn’t payin’ attention. I was haulin’ arse tryin’ to save one of the scientists who managed to piss off an Abomasnow on the way to the Crown Shrine.”

“You,” Leon said in surprise. “Running?”

He felt irrationally proud of himself when it managed to make Piers laugh, however weakly. It was a beautiful sound.

“I know, yeah? Gonna end up one of Freezington’s local legends if I keep that up.”

They were down to his undershirt and shorts, and Leon jolted when he realized Peony had been standing to his side with a heated blanket and hot water bottles at the ready. He bit his lip and looked away from the intrigued gaze Peony was assessing him with.

Rare were the times the mountaineer was quiet, but Leon was grateful for it as they moved Piers this way and that to get him wrapped up. Equally uncharacteristic was the way Piers let them, clearly too tired to argue being manhandled, though his brows were furrowed when he saw Peony.

“Mate, that you?”

“Aye, laddie, saw the whole thing from the watchtower and got there quick as I could. That scientist owes you his life. What in the world were you all even out there for in the first place?”

Wait, these two _knew_ each other?

Leon’s mouth dropped open, staring at the two of them when Piers scrunched his nose and rolled his eyes.

“What does anyone come out to this icebox for? Research. Sonia has been askin’ me and Nessa along for ages, and now that I’m not a gym leader anymore, I have a lot more free time than I used to, so I figured I’d take her up on it. See what it was all about.”

“Havin’ regrets yet?” Peony asked, a sparkle in his eye, and Piers let out a loud, despondent sigh.

“What is life but a series of regrets?” He asked mournfully, and Leon couldn’t help the burst of laughter that escaped him, hurriedly covering his mouth and instinctively beginning to apologize before—

“Oi, somethin’ funny to you?” Piers said, but it was accompanied by a small, pleased smile, and Leon paused for a moment to consider that. Cues had never been his thing, but the gentle way he said it reminded Leon of his earlier thoughts about how well Piers seemed to understand him.

“You have a really morbid sense of humor,” he said, falling back on fact when he was uncertain. He could have kicked himself with how inane that had sounded, wishing he had a hat to hide behind.

“One might even call it dark,” Piers shot back, and this time, even Peony snickered, releasing Leon from his worry that he had misread the situation.

“Anyone else want tea?” Peony asked, standing and cracking his back. “I could use a cuppa after all that carryin’. You’re heavier than you look, lad.”

“None for me, ta,” Piers said, pointedly glancing at where he was cocooned in blankets.

“I could help,” Leon blurted out before he could think better of it, and oh those were _definitely_ eyes on the back of his head from Peony. “Help you drink it, that is, if you were wanting some.”

“As unpatriotic as it is, I’ll pass,” Piers said sarcastically, and Leon nodded, face burning as he hastily stood and fled to the relative safety of Peony’s company by the stove. At least he knew better than to expect intelligent things out of Leon’s mouth when flustered.

“You fancy him,” Peony whispered and Leon hadn’t even known he knew how to _do_ that.

“I know I’m obvious, please just…leave it be, okay?” He begged, and was grateful when his friend clapped him on the back and let it go for the time being, switching the subject to Nia and their ‘Adven-Tour.’ And there was the Peony he knew. Loud and boisterous and as close to home as Leon could get this side of the mountains.

As it turned out, apparently Gloria was here as well.

Well, that did bode well for the research getting done quicker than it might have, he supposed. The Champion had an uncanny knack for speed and throwing herself at every obstacle she came across.

“You know how Nia gets,” Peony said sadly, though he was still smiling. “Gettin’ too old for her papa to be interestin’ anymore. She used to sit for hours listenin’ to the stories of the birds, giants, and all that. Gloria is a sweet lass though. It’s been good fun hearin’ how she’s gettin’ along on her quests. She reminds me a lot of you at that age.”

He knew his smile didn’t quite reach past his mouth, but Peony had never expected him to feel anything other than exactly what he was feeling. He and Rose were truly like night and day when it came to how they interacted with people.

“I know. A lot of people have said so, and it worries me. I don’t want her to feel like she has to be what I was. I want her to make her own way, figure out what she wants. I don’t want to be like…”

And this was why he hadn’t spoken to Peony in a long, long time.

“Leon,” his friend said, taking his hand when he didn’t continue. “If anyone is qualified to talk about my brother with you, it’s me. You never have to worry that I’ll grow angry or defensive. He’s hurt a lot of people, and you more than most. If you’ve got things you need to be airin’, ol’ Peony is always gonna be here to listen, alright?”

Leon squeezed his hand back, uncertain for a moment if it was relief or sadness at the back of his throat.

“And you know, Piers is a good listener, too.” The purposefully casual way he said it made Leon roll his eyes. “Don’t you go rollin’ ‘em at me, mister! I’m just sayin’!”

“Well stop saying, at least where he might overhear you,” he countered, keeping his voice low. “Which reminds me…hey, Piers? How do you two know each other?” He called out, waiting a few moments before glancing into the room when he was met with silence.

Oh, he was…

Piers was sound asleep on his side facing the fireplace, mouth open slightly and breathing quietly. Likely under since the moment they’d left the room. After the day he’d had, it was no surprise.

Leon’s heart thundered in his chest as he slowly walked over, sitting on the rug in front of the sofa, taking in the way a bit of warmth was starting to come back to the singer’s cheeks. He ached to touch, to tuck the stray bits of hair sticking to long-cooled sweat and melted snow back into place.

He sat on his hands, leaning his forehead against his knee.

“Oh, laddie. You have it so bad.”

He nodded, keeping his face hidden, and Peony pulled up a chair by Piers’ feet, smiling softly.

“We met because Nia liked his music as a teen. Went to a concert and I thought she was goin’ to cry when we were told we could probably meet him if we stuck around afterwards,” he said, laughing. “Arceus, the look on his face when he saw me! Thought he might make a run for it, but Nia wasn’t about to let him get away. Talked his ear off, takes after her Papa like that. He loosened up a bit after I told him I had been the one runnin’ his gym not too long before. And from there, well…I think he could tell I understood why he was makin’ noise about Rose. Every so often I’d check in to see how he was doin’. Forgot how much I missed Spikemuth till I started bein’ back there on the regular. Tried to help him some, but he’d just wave it off and say me listenin’ was everythin’ he needed. That I should keep my resources for me and Nia. I’ll always regret not pushin’ just a bit harder on that.”

Leon knew that feeling well.

“In any case, you’re both the sort of people that deserve all the happiness in the world for what life’s put you through. The two of you bein’ happy _together_ would just be icin’ on the cake.”

If he blushed anymore today, his head might explode. He groaned, flapping a hand when it made Peony guffaw loud enough that Piers stirred a bit. The laughter suddenly cut off after a moment, and Leon peeked out from behind his knee to see Peony looking off into middle distance, head cocked like he was listening.

“Huh, think I just heard Gloria call for me.”

“Really? I didn’t hear any—”

“Well, I’d better get goin’. Don’t wanna keep her waitin’, if she has news for us.”

“But—”

“Take good care of him, lad. I’ll come check in on you tomorrow, and you can always call if you need somethin’. Still the same old number as before. Don’t forget your tea, it’ll get cold.”

Leon barely had a moment to get his farewell out before Peony was donning his coat and bustling out the door, waving jovially.

Well, that was certainly odd.

Then again, it was Peony, and he was always odd. It was Leon’s favorite quality of his.

He shook his head, smiling and getting up to pour himself some tea, resolutely ignoring the immediate memory of offering to…

He groaned and thunked his head against the cabinet.

“Leon?” His head whipped up at the sound of Piers calling for him groggily. He walked quickly into the other room to find the singer trying to struggle out of the blankets, looking disoriented.

“Easy, easy,” he said, helping untangle Piers from his cocoon.

“Ah fuck,” Piers groaned, putting his head in his hands after a moment. “Sorry I passed out there for a bit. Got a headache to end them all. Knew I was gonna be in for it.”

“I can imagine. Let me get you some medicine,” he said, glad Peony had made enough tea after all. He found some in the first aid kit under the sink, tearing open the packets and handing them off to Piers, who took them gratefully.

“Cheers,” he said, swallowing them dry while Leon made a face.

“You are bound and determined to not drink that tea.”

“Mate, I will literally pretend to be a terrible Galarian over havin’ to swallow whatever it is Peony calls tea. Half true anyways, it’s probably the _only_ thing Galar and I agree on. I’m always here for caffeine, just not when Peony is the one wieldin’ it.”

Leon frowned at his cup. “It can’t be all that bad, can it?”

“Don’t have to take my word for it,” Piers goaded him, and Leon had never been one to back away from a challenge.

He wished, every so often, that he could be just a little less _himself_.

“Arceus,” he choked out, immediately running to the sink to spit it back out and rinse his mouth with the tap, desperate to get rid of the acrid taste. “Oh god, that’s foul!”

He supposed he deserved the way Piers was howling hard enough to bring tears to his eyes.

“And I can guarantee you’ll never make that mistake again,” Piers wheezed, and despite the awful taste that lingered, Leon couldn’t help but join in. “Ah, fuck, I gotta stop laughin’, it’s killin’ what’s left of my brain cells. Have to wait till the medicine kicks in.”

“I’ll do my best not to do anything too comedic in the meantime.”

The way Piers smiled at him made his insides flutter.

“Don’t think I got to thank you properly for helpin’ to keep me from turnin’ into an ice lolly. Did Peony head out already? Gotta thank him, too.”

“Yeah, he’ll be back tomorrow, he was saying. I’m just so glad you’re alright.”

“Me too. Feel like I got run over by a train, but better that than gettin’ eaten by an Abomasnow.”

“You should get some actual rest,” Leon said, though he was loathe to waste any of the time they had left before Piers would leave in the morning to go back to wherever he was staying. They likely wouldn’t see each other again for weeks, without the excuse of the League.

Piers bit his lip, looking down at his hands for a moment.

“If you’re wantin’ to get some shut eye, then that’s alright, but…if it’s all the same, I’d rather hang with you a while longer. Feels like we never get to see each other without everyone else around.”

And if that didn’t set his heart to tripping over itself, he didn’t know what would. He fought back the urge to punch the air, or go running through the snow yelling in excitement, or literally anything other than staying very, very still and trying to take in how unhesitatingly Piers had said that.

“Alright,” he said, and Piers nodded, moving his legs closer to himself so Leon had room to sit with him. He quietly came over, sitting as far as the limited space would allow until Piers rolled his eyes and draped his legs over Leon’s lap, making him jump.

“That was an invitation, just now, in case you weren’t sure.”

“Wha—"

“Can’t very well snog you if you’re all the way over there, now can I?”

And there went all semblance of thought.

“I—you—but— _pardon_?” _Very, very good, Leon. Absolute bang up job getting those words out._

Piers hesitated a moment, but he didn’t falter, looking for all the world like he was about to charge into battle despite being mostly naked and having just made it out of one earlier that day. “Look, it’s just a guess, but you blush easy. And you’ve been doin’ a lot of it around me the past few months. It’s…really endearin’.”

And he was almost certainly doing just that at the moment.

“Didn’t think you’d ever be interested in someone like me, but if I didn’t read that wrong…I’m just sayin’ if you _wanted_ —”

“Oh god yes,” Leon said quickly, and it was worth the potential embarrassment over just how _terribly_ he wanted in order to see the way Piers relaxed a little.

“Yeah?” He asked, pushing the blankets back to come closer. Leon swallowed hard when he found himself slowly eased back against the end of the couch with Piers braced over him. His hair was loose from its usual style, likely having come out of place during his run-in with the Abomasnow, and the way the still-wet strands of it spilled over his shoulders to brush at Leon’s arms made him shiver. He reached up hesitantly, unsure of what he was and wasn’t permitted to do. He ran the backs of his fingers along Piers’ cheek.

“Yeah,” he echoed quietly, grateful when Piers saw the way he faltered and took his hands in his own, moving them to his hips.

“Well, that’s a relief then.” He lowered himself to lie against Leon’s chest. So close, close enough it made him dizzy. “Been wonderin’,” he said, kissing his cheek, lingering there for a moment before he pulled back and then did the same to his mouth.

Leon couldn’t help the pleased sound he made when soft lips connected with his own, keeping things easy, unrushed. He hadn’t known to crave this, had expected that if he ever worked up the nerve to ask Piers for anything resembling a relationship, he would have been laughed right back out the door. And on the slimmest of chances he _did_ agree to give Leon a shot, he had figured he’d be learning about the rougher side of things. The thought wasn’t an unpleasant one by any means, but the careful way Piers was running his hands along Leon’s shoulders to his jaw, stroking along the line of it with his thumb was—

A tongue slipped into his mouth to brush against his own, the sensation stirring something low in his belly, and that was even better.

He let Piers do as he liked, let him set and keep the pace, ever-worried about overstepping. What little experience he had was marred by the difficulty he had understanding how people worked. What they needed and wanted. It didn’t bode well for him in the bedroom, when his fears got the best of him. A lifetime of having to be the standard, having to be the best at whatever he did had long since taken its toll in other ways. Other areas of his life.

He had learned quickly to make up for the difference by letting his partner lead, but it meant that he often attracted…a certain type of person. The kind who thought that his passiveness here translated elsewhere, as if he was anything other than fiercely devoted to his goals and ambitions.

“I can feel you over-thinkin’ things,” Piers said, biting gently at his bottom lip, pulling back to kiss his temple.

“Sorry,” Leon said automatically, used to apologizing for where he was lacking, and the singer shook his head.

“S’just me, what’s makin’ you nervous?”

 _Just_ Piers, as if that wasn’t the very thing that had his insides writhing with want and fear alike.

“Don’t want to mess this up,” he mumbled, embarrassed at how transparent he apparently was. “I’ve been…thinking about this for a while.”

He felt a little better when that made Piers’ face flush, glad that at least he wasn’t the only one feeling flustered.

“About me? You’re sure full of surprises.”

Was he? Was that a good thing?

He wanted to ask why that was surprising. Why Piers thought anyone _wouldn’t_ be tripping over themself to try and catch his attention.

“Nothin’ has to happen tonight,” Piers said, grimacing and pressing a hand to his head. Leon wanted to bang his own against a wall for putting Piers off. Stupid, stupid, stupid, he was so—

“Probably better that way, anyhow. I’d rather be at my best for anythin’ fancy, and this cursed headache doesn’t wanna quit.”

It…it _wasn’t_ because Leon was…?

“I could help with that,” Leon said immediately, latching on to any thought that wasn’t poison, sitting them both up and already considering nerves and anatomy and the instructions of his doctors and chiropractors.

This, at least, he was competent in, and the feeling of knowing what he was doing helped soothe him a bit.

“What, my headache?”

“Yeah, I’m a fair hand at massage.”

“Those help with headaches?”

“Definitely. Mine usually come from overexertion, and you definitely did that today.”

“Huh,” Piers mused, scratching the back of his head. “Never gotten a massage before.”

“Really? We get them as part of being in the League. You’re saying you don’t see Tracy after matches?”

“Who?” The confusion was genuine, and Leon’s heart sank to his stomach.

Just another way they had failed to be there for Piers, knowing full well Rose would have rather expired where he stood than make life easier for someone he didn’t like. He had a feeling he knew why no one had bothered telling Piers about the perks that came with being a gym leader, even a former one.

“I’ll introduce you when we get back. I’ve been seeing her for years, and I think I can replicate enough of what she does that it might help clear your headache a bit.”

Piers gave him an inscrutable look, head cocked to the side.

“Alright then, where do you want me?”

_Everywhere, all the time, especially right now. If I were less of a coward I’d actually do something about it._

“Lie on the rug on your front.”

Piers looked at him a while longer before he slipped down to the floor, laying on his side for a moment, watching Leon watch him. He wondered what the singer found on his face. If it was the intensity or the desire or something gentle and aching that wanted to fold itself up in Piers’ arms and stay there as long as it could.

When he turned onto his stomach, resting his head on folded arms, Leon finally gathered the courage to join him on the rug, bringing the blankets with him. He held his breath as he knelt over Piers’ form, straddling his back to have better access.

“Fun fact, this is how a lot of porn starts.”

Leon snorted a laugh, and just like that, his anxiety eased up a little. He brought his hands to the juncture of neck and shoulders, closing his eyes for a moment to take in the fact that this was Piers he was touching before he started the routine he had long since memorized from countless times on the table.

“I suppose it is.” As if he didn’t know _quite_ well how true that was from lonely nights wishing he had someone to crawl into bed with him.

“Oh,” Piers breathed as he worked his way along his spine first, nearly every part of it cracking under the pressure of his hands. Leon immediately made a mental note to get Tracy on the job as soon as he got home. “Can see why people pay good money for this. That already feels _really_ good.”

“Doesn’t it, though? It’s one of my favorite parts of a match, outside of the battle itself.”

“Mm, would have probably enjoyed them a bit more if I knew I had this to look forward to after.”

“You don’t enjoy battling?” The idea was always so strange to him, though he knew plenty of people who had little to no interest in what had always been his first love.

“I do, when it’s on my time and my terms. I’d prefer havin’ eyes on me for my music, if I have to be looked at for anythin’. My Pokémon are family to me, and it just…I dunno, somethin’ about them havin’ to fight to show their value to everyone else hits a bit too close to home sometimes. Same with Marnie. I wish people could just look at us and…maybe see somethin’ worthwhile without us havin’ to prove it over and over. The rules constantly change, always out of our reach, and m’tired of tryin’ to keep up.”

They lapsed into silence for a long while as Leon considered that, hands on autopilot.

“If things could be made better, would you want to come back?”

“Fuck no,” Piers said, turning his head to smile at Leon despite his eyes being closed as he enjoyed the way Leon’s hands worked out tension he likely hadn’t realized he’d been carrying. “I’m really likin’ the freedom of not havin’ a gym to run. I can take care of my city in other ways, and still have time to do stuff like this. Get away with my mates and research with them and all that. S’nice, not bein’ in survival mode all the time. And Marnie has been killin’ it with what’s she’s done for the gym. I know she’ll get bored and move on eventually, bigger and better things are out there for her, but in the meantime she’s learnin’ a fuller extent of exactly how capable she is, and I love seein’ it.”

Leon felt his chest swell with pride as he thought of how Hop had faced off against him in the Star Tournament and won. It hadn’t been the Champion’s shot that had taken Charizard out.

“They’re going to surpass us so quickly,” he said, and Piers grinned, opening his eyes.

“I know, isn’t it great?”

“Yeah,” Leon laughed, the thought no longer terrifying as it had once been.

They lapsed back into silence for a while, and it was peaceful. Simple. Just the muscle memory as he sought to grant Piers some relief.

Eventually, he worked his way further down, and drew in a careful breath at how his hands nearly encased the slim waist he dug the heels of his palms into. Less simple. Less muscle memory and more straying into the areas that caused him problems. But worth it, if he could just manage to…

“May I?” He asked, nonsensically he suddenly realized, given Piers had no idea what he was asking for, and yet he received a sound of affirmation nonetheless.

“Whatever you want,” Piers said easily. “Whenever you want. M’not in any hurry. We’ve got time, if you’re thinkin’ about seein’ each other when we get home.”

It was difficult to think past how blatantly his body was advertising the way those words—that _trust_ —made him feel. There was no way Piers couldn’t feel how hard he was against the small of his back, and yet he didn’t tell him to shove off, wasn’t annoyed by the mixed signals. He was…

Piers was letting him have time to dither and get a bit lost before he routed back around to the conclusion, he realized.

And that, in and of itself, was enough to make everything in him ache to be closer.

He hadn’t known how badly he’d needed someone to let him find the path himself.

“I’d really, really like that.”

He shifted from purposeful touches to meandering ones. Rather than the digging in and pushing against nerves to unlock them one by one, it was gentle caresses of his fingertips over soft skin. Piers sighed deeply, a contented and pleased noise when Leon pushed his hair to the side so that he could kiss the back of his neck, moving down along his spine until he returned to stroking over shoulder blades and ribs and tailbone.

It felt soothing. Safe, in a way few things were.

“I’m not long for running the League,” he finally said, heart thundering in his chest at the admission. He hadn’t told anyone that yet. Had hardly admitted it to himself.

But if Piers was willing to be vulnerable with him, then…

“Any idea what you want to do after? Or just ready to be done and you’ll figure it out later?”

Leon could have cried over the easy acceptance in Piers’ voice.

“The latter. I want to take some time when the Star Tournaments are more fully in place to figure out what I want. I have no idea where to go from here.”

“Could do this for a livin’,” Piers snickered, arching up into his touch to prove the point. “My headache’s just about gone. Clearly you’re doin’ somethin’ right.”

Leon grinned, hiding it between Piers’ shoulder blades, kissing a patch of freckles he found there. “That’s sounds more appealing than it ought to. An excuse to put my hands all over you whenever I want.”

“Mm, you don’t need an excuse for that. No need to go makin’ career moves for somethin’ you’ve already got.” Piers spread his legs as he worked his way downwards, giving him room to shuffle back. “Told you this was how porn started.”

“Massage really is the answer to all things, huh?”

Piers didn’t even bother trying to stifle his laughter, his expression as open and carefree as Leon had ever seen it, warming him from the inside out. _He’d_ done that. _He’d_ made Piers happy.

“Must be, didn’t hurt to laugh that time.”

He ran his hands along Piers’ sides, down to his hips, feeling bold when it made the other sigh happily and raise them a bit, letting him slip a hand underneath to run a thumb over the growing bulge beneath the fabric of his shorts.

“You sure?” Piers asked, and Leon could only kiss his neck and nod, praying he could do well enough for Piers that he wouldn’t be disappointed. “If you change your mind at any point, just tell me, yeah?”

It wasn’t his mind he was worried about. He nodded again anyways.

“C’mere then. Want more of your mouth.”

From anyone else, that would have meant hands in his hair and a cock between his lips, but instead Piers turned to look over his shoulder, closing his eyes and waiting for Leon to—

That kiss was just as amazing as the others, an addicting feeling of give and take that Leon already knew he could do for hours. The angle couldn’t be sustained for long, but he wrapped an arm around Piers’ torso, keeping him up while his other hand dipped under Piers’ waistband to stroke over the head of his cock. Piers jolted, moaning, and he pushed further down, slowly stroking when he wrapped him up in a loose grip.

“Feels good,” he whimpered into his mouth, grinding back against him.

He returned the motions in kind, the crackle of the fire counterpoint to their panting as they pushed and pulled and teased.

He needed more, wanted to feel Piers fully no matter where they touched.

He let Piers keep himself propped up on his elbows so he could strip him of the shorts, immediately laying kisses along the backs of his thighs, biting lightly at the curve of his arse just to hear him laugh. “Feisty one you are. Get back over me, I’m already too cold.”

He quickly tugged off his own jumper, rolling to his back to kick off his trousers, tilting his head back to watch the Piers eyed him hungrily when he was fully naked. He stayed where he was, letting Piers move over him, caging him in with his arms and running a hand through his hair.

“S’not fair, how gorgeous you are.”

He didn’t know what to do with compliments like that, so instead he took them both in hand, relishing in the way Piers’ eyes closed and his lips parted on a quiet exhalation. He took Leon’s face in his hands, the stroke of his tongue in his mouth mimicking the languid pace of his fingers around them.

“Leon,” Piers breathed in the one of the few moments they paused for air, and the way he said it had Leon wanting more. It sounded so, _so_ good when it was Piers’ voice. “Gonna want you in me, if you’re up for it. You alright with that?”

For once, he could say without question that he _absolutely_ was. Piers’ patience brought out the best in him, it seemed, and he needed to be closer, as close as he could get. Wanted to bury himself in Piers and never leave. Wanted—

“Ah shite, wait, we have no supplies here, do we? I didn’t pack for this, and I threw my bag at the Abomasnow anyways, thinkin’ it might go for the berries instead.”

So casually said, for the thing that made Leon freeze entirely.

No, there wasn’t anything stocked here, that was right. Which meant…

Just like that, it was over.

Desire choked out by anxiety as he realized he wouldn’t get to follow through on any of it, after all that back and forth. After all the worry and making Piers wait and managing to get to this point without going soft, it hadn’t mattered anyways.

And he’d been doing so _well_.

Useless, useless piece of—

He could have screamed, but instead he pinched the bridge of his nose, willing himself not to cry.

“Leon?”

So concerned, immediately reaching to soothe and caress his jaw, his neck, his chest.

“I’m sorry,” he said, voice breaking, covering his face with his hands, as if that would do any good at all. “I’m sorry, I—”

“Hey, hey, easy, what happened? Why are you apologizin’? Is it because we don’t have anythin’ with us? It’s no big deal, really, we can just—Oh shite, you’re really upset. Leon, darlin’, talk to me.”

Not even the endearment—clearly a slip that would send his heart soaring any other time—could override the rest. How did one explain this? That it _was_ a big deal, because he never knew when he’d be able to actually make good on his body’s first responses. That he’d think about it for weeks and just make things so much worse if Piers even bothered to ever offer again after this. That he almost only ever did this when it was dark because then he could fake it and just focus on making his partner feel good.

It was the nature of celebrity to be commodified, whether he wanted to be or not. People had opinions on every inch of him, and anytime the light caught his uniform just right, the internet was sent into a frenzy of guessing his size, whether he preferred topping or bottoming, if he was a ‘secret freak’ as one comment Raihan had frowned at before throwing an arm around him and distracting him from his distress with promises of ice cream was any indication. The commonality though was most of them thought he must be amazing in bed, and he hadn’t the slightest where _that_ started, because _what_?

The rest of his body? Sure, that was just movement and memorization and not at all about where his head was.

But he knew damn well what they were talking about, and that was the part of him that rarely did what it was supposed to. Case in point, its useless state against his thigh when he _quite literally had Piers on top of him._

“Can I take a guess, then?” Piers asked, and he realized he had been silent for too long. He nodded, not caring at this point. He was lucky it was Piers seeing him like this, at least. The singer was the most loyal person he knew, devoted to the care of the people he loved. His secrets were safe here, even if it made his chest hurt to think that Piers would be the one thinking less of him.

“Seems to me you’ve been strugglin’ to get in the right headspace for this all evenin’ and it’s got you all twisted up.”

 _Got it in one_ , he thought sardonically.

“Are you worried I’m gonna judge you for it?”

Wasn’t he already?

“Cause if you are, you should know that’s a bunch of shite.”

Wait, what?

He opened his eyes, brow furrowed at he looked up at Piers. He was kissed gently before Piers spoke again.

“I’m the last person to care about that sort of thing. If your mind’s not in it, the way I see it, we’ve got a couple options. Either try to get you into the right mood or leave it be and do other stuff. I like foolin’ around in all sorts of ways, no penetration required. There’s still plenty we can try, you know. You’re as new to me as I am to you. Gotta give us some time to learn each other.”

“But you said you wanted—”

“I want a lot of things, m’not picky about which ones. That isn’t the only type of sex, not even close, and I can guarantee I’ll come whether your cock’s in my arse, or my mouth, or my hand, or against my hip, it literally doesn’t matter. At some point or another, I start thinkin’ about how fuckin’ amazin’ it is I get to do this with someone I like, the slut factor kicks in, and I end up gettin’ off whether or no, you get me?”

“The _what_ factor?” Leon near-yelled, not having expected those words out of Piers’ mouth. It made the other smile.

“Slut factor. Mate, I have been _around_ , but not with anyone particularly special. Sex is nice and all already, but you wantin’ me back? Havin’ a shot at makin’ you mine? Immediately has me goin’ past lovers _who_? You’ve got no one to compare yourself to, it’d be like takin’ on the Junior League in an all-out battle at Wyndon. Even the best of them would get flicked off the field by any of us within minutes.”

Piers ran his fingers through Leon’s hair, and he closed his eyes, leaning into the touch.

“Leon, you’re unbearably attractive, you do know that right? Like, can’t get away from a match without having to wank one out in the showers after starin’ at you for a whole round. Even if my heart wasn’t hopin’ you’ll still want me after we get out of this freezin’ hole in the ground—and it very much is—you’d still have nothin’ to prove on that front. I have _literally_ come just from thinkin’ about you, that’s how much you do it for me.”

He felt overwhelmed at the thought of it. Of not having to do or be anything other than himself to turn Piers’ head. It felt unfathomable. Unreal.

“Lay back, yeah?” Piers asked, a spark in his eyes as he put a hand over Leon’s heart. “Let me try somethin’. See if I can’t get you back into it.”

“Alright,” he whispered, taking a shaky breath. He would trust Piers. He had nothing to lose at that point, and everything to possibly gain, and if he had learned to take those situations in battle and run with them, he could do so here when there was nothing to fight but himself.

He was so very, very glad he did.

Piers was a night creature over him; the shadowy things that lurked in hidden corners of the Tundra just past the door. Gone was his playful, easygoing demeanor, replaced by intent and single-minded focus on wreaking havoc over his ability to keep ahold of a coherent thought. His own all-encompassing style on the pitch had nothing on the way Piers took him apart, no piece of him left untouched by the wildfire the other stoked in him. No ice-laden land could have hoped to withstand it.

Working him back up with teeth and tongue and form. Fingers teasing at his hole and a raised brow at the way it made him tremble, a promise for later. Soft lips on every part of him he could reach, his hair trailing behind him like monochrome smoke against his skin. Biting at his neck, his nipples, the curve of his pecs. Soothing them in turn with his tongue, down and down and down until it was his cock he was sinking onto, throat working hard to take all of him, and oh wait, but that meant—

That meant—

He gasped and gripped Piers’ hair tight, moaning deep in his chest when Piers swallowed around him only to push himself further, nose brushing the curls at the base of him before he had to pull back up. He gulped in air for a moment before he frowned, eyeing Leon’s length like it was a challenge he had underestimated. He growled, a low rumble that left Leon breathless, holding Leon’s hips firmly to the floor before he was back on him. Determined to take the entirety of him.

No frustration with himself when he had to stop and restart a few times before he finally did it, smug satisfaction radiating from every part of him when he found his rhythm, letting Leon fuck his throat when he finally tapped his hip and released him, hands buried in the soft fur of the rug instead. Leon wanted so badly to know how Piers was that comfortable with himself for all of a few seconds before he whimpered and lost his train of thought, caught up in heat and pleasure and please, please, _please yes more_ —

“Lie over me,” Piers instructed, voice ragged and making it difficult to think. The singer turned over to spread out on his front once more, and Leon scrambled up to do just that, whining and unable to stop himself from rutting against Piers for a moment before the other reached back to position him where he wanted.

“Between my thighs,” he murmured, a pleased, rough little moan making Leon shiver when he obeyed. “There’s a love.”

He nearly came from those words alone, cock hard and slick with precome when he pushed up undearneath Piers’ length, the silky softness of his skin driving Leon out of his mind as the other closed his legs tight around him.

“Oh god, oh god,” he chanted nonsensically, unable to care how ridiculous he probably sounded when Piers keened softly, egging him on. He thrust hard, and the way Piers gasped his name knocked any remaining anxiety loose from his chest.

“ _Yes_ , Lee, right there. Give it to me, make them be what’s sorest in the mornin’. Wanna feel you every time I walk tomorrow, _ah_ _fuck_ —”

He rode him hard, both of them leaking steadily, easing the way and making everything unbearably good. He could see and feel nothing else, a safe haze of pleasure cocooning him as the blankets had Piers on the sofa. Nothing in his world but being nestled up against Piers, fucking his thighs and kissing the nape of his neck and listening to the way he begged and moaned and _took it_.

He was never this loud, had never been able to let go this entirely, but he immediately loved the way they sounded together as they spiraled up high, too worked up to think about lasting any longer than they had to.

“Piers, Piers I’m gonna—"

“On me,” Piers gritted out, arching back to press tight against Leon’s chest. “Mark me up, make me yours.”

Yes, yes _that_!

He gave him everything he had, arms straining and sweat dripping down his nose and neck and back, the fire heating them further until Piers finally shuddered and came all over the rug, calling his name.

He held out only seconds more, pushing Piers down to the floor so he could do as he’d asked, watching how hard Piers was shivering as he found his own end and striped Piers’ back with his come.

He couldn’t keep himself up anymore, collapsing to the side and immediately gathering Piers in, wrapping the blanket around them both. It would need a washing, but so would they.

They laid there in the aftermath, clinging tight to each other, foreheads pressed together and fighting to get their breath back.

Little by little they came back to themselves, and Piers sighed quietly, running the bridge of his nose along Leon’s jaw, back and forth. His mind felt quiet for once, not needing to replay everything over and over to find what he could have done better. Piers’ fingernails scratching lightly at his back reassured him, as did the cold toes against his calf that made him jump before he snickered and trapped them between his ankles.

Leon could barely bring himself to stand when the stickiness began to finally be bothersome enough to do something about it, but he managed.

He wet a washcloth, bringing it back and gazing at Piers from the doorway for a long while, just taking him in. The singer reached a hand out, smiling softly, contentedly, and he sank to his knees to clean him off. His back and between his legs before attending to himself, murmuring his thanks over and over into Piers’ hair as he worked.

“Thank _you_ ,” Piers said in turn, grinning tiredly. “Fuck, I needed that.”

“The massage or the sex?” Leon said, mirroring his smile, and Piers laughed, swatting his arm.

“Both. Ugh, can’t stay on this floor much longer though, m’too bony for this.”

“The bed won’t be as warm as out here.”

“Warms up a lot faster if we’re both in it,” he said, and Leon scooped him up into a hug, pressing his face to the other’s neck for a moment before they stood together and made their way to the bedroom.

The were out within seconds of laying down, tangled together both there and in dreams as morning crept over the frozen Tundra. Somewhere, in the distance, birdcalls echoed across the snowy mountains and a King was reunited with a friend he’d thought lost to him.

Leon cracked an eye open at a noise outside sometime in the early hours, glancing out the window in time to see a spectral horse running past, its rider recognizable to him, flower crown in full bloom. New greenery, new life and hope where there had only been snow and sorrow before.

 _Oh good_ , he thought, settling back down and holding Piers closer to him. Blessings of the Weald on Gloria for making their jobs easy then. _We can sleep in._


End file.
